


Ready for Anything

by BluePhoenix73



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cute, Dancing, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, The Winter Palace (Dragon Age), Tumblr Prompts, are you calling me a lyre, it wasn't submitted directly to me but hey I got an idea and I ran with it, prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 00:36:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13446771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluePhoenix73/pseuds/BluePhoenix73
Summary: A different kind of preparatory meeting as Inquisitor Trevelyan and her advisors prepare to brave the Winter Palace in Halamshiral.Prompt: “I’m going to teach you how to dance, come here”





	Ready for Anything

**Author's Note:**

> It's Trevelyan because that's what my first Inquisitor was, and I'm rather attached to her. But I didn't describe her, so you can fill in the blanks at least a little! (I try to leave character descriptions like that somewhat open-ended, I think it makes it more fun to read. With some imagination, she doesn't need to be Trevelyan... or even a _she_ , really... ;P)

Inquisitor Trevelyan absentmindedly scratched her temple. “Er, Lady Montilyet… I won't have to  _dance_ at the Winter Palace, will I?” 

“We must be prepared for any situation, Inquisitor,” Josephine Montilyet said, her sweeping gesture indicating Skyhold’s emptied main hall, the tables and chairs pushed to the side, the construction work abandoned for the evening. 

 _This is_ precisely _why I didn’t include plans for a ballroom_ , Trevelyan thought, a blush threatening to tint her cheeks. 

Leliana seemed to read her expression. “Do not worry, Inquisitor: by the end of the night, you'll be dancing in your sleep. Just like Josie!” The old friends shared a warm laugh. 

The front door burst open with a reverberating echo, drawing the attention of all three women. Trevelyan, in her already agitated state, almost grabbed for the nearest statuette to use as a blunt force object, but Leliana steadied her hand with a gentle touch. 

“I apologize for being late,” Commander Cullen announced, straightening the adornments on his armor. “Have you already begun—?” he cut himself off, spotting the Inquisitor’s deer-in-the-headlights expression and the collected looks of Josephine and Leliana at her flanks. “Why aren’t we meeting in the War Room?” 

“The Winter Palace is a very different kind of battlefield, Commander,” Josephine smirked. “It requires much more… _intense_ preparation.” 

Cullen was speechless. The Inquisitor was speechless. Leliana took it upon herself to fill the silence. 

“Don’t worry, I brought along a lyre,” she said. “Let us hope I still remember how to play!” 

“I’m sure you play as beautifully as ever, my friend,” Josephine said. The Inquisitor couldn’t help but feel there was more to this conversation than she was being allowed to hear. “Commander, to the front lines.” 

One hand absentmindedly on the pommel of his sword, Cullen walked over to Josephine, who forcibly turned him to face the Inquisitor. Her grip was surprisingly strong. 

“Now, Cullen, you’ll be leading, so—” 

“While I respect the necessity of this exercise, Lady Montilyet,” Cullen interrupted, “I doubt I’ll be doing much dancing while I’m directing our troops.” 

“It is best to be prepared for every situation,” Leliana noted, tuning her lyre. “You and the Inquisitor could use some practice in Val Royeaux’s deadliest sport: dance.” 

Cullen rolled his eyes and allowed Josephine to position his hands. As she placed a hand on the Inquisitor’s waist, he felt an unfamiliar, uncomfortable heat rising from his chest up to his neck.

Trevelyan felt a similar sensation as Cullen took her hand, watching as the Commander’s eyes stubbornly refused to meet hers. A dozen moments flashed through her mind: smiles exchanged back at Haven, the way Cullen had wrapped her in his pauldrons and cradled her after finding her in the mountains, when he had grabbed her arm as she’d turned to walk away and promised her that he would never allow the events of Haven to happen again… 

She felt the same at his touch now, though his newly-de-gloved hands were decidedly clammier than she’d imagined them to be. 

“Lady Trevelyan, do you remember the steps to this one?” Leliana asked as she began to strum a tune. 

Trevelyan considered a moment, her mind still clouded by Cullen’s touch. “I might. Josephine might have to help me out a bit, though.” 

“Of course, Inquisitor.” 

“This is ridiculous,” Cullen muttered as Josephine began counting the rhythm and instructing them. 

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Trevelyan said, her words slipping out before she could stop them. 

Cullen met her eyes for the first time since he’d entered the hall. “Oh?” 

“I—I mean…” the Inquisitor stammered, trying not to trip over her feet. “It is best to be prepared for anything. How would we look if the Inquisitor didn’t know even the simplest dance?” 

Cullen smiled. Neither of them noticed Josephine and Leliana exchange sly grins of their own. 

“I believe you’re a natural at this, Inquisitor,” Cullen said. “Dancing, chess… what can’t you do?” 

 _I can’t keep my mouth shut, apparently,_ Trevelyan thought. Leliana plucked the final notes of the number and Cullen and Trevelyan ended chest to chest, both breathing a little heavier than either had anticipated. 

“I must be out of practice,” the Inquisitor panted, unconsciously backing away. 

“You danced well, Inquisitor,” Leliana praised, shifting her lyre and clapping lightly. 

“And I’m sure you’ll both get more practice at the Winter Palace,” Josephine added. 

“Yes, practice…” Cullen echoed, eyeing his fellow advisors. He was certain this had been a setup, but the hint of a smile that pulled at the corner of the Inquisitor’s lips canceled out the well-intentioned plotting of his friends. He would have to do some more practice of his own in the coming days: after all, as his compatriots had insisted, he _did_ need to be prepared for anything.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
